Tottenham Hotspur have discovered the fee they will need to pay in order to land Seko Fofana this summer.
What’s the word?
That’s according to a report by French media outlet Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that RC Lens will be demanding a figure in the region of €40m (£34m) in order to part with the central midfielder this summer, with Spurs and Newcastle United thought to be the most interested Premier League clubs in the 27-year-old.
Indeed, previous reports revealed that Fabio Paratici had sent scouts to watch the Ivory Coast international in action for Lens earlier this season, with Tottenham said to strongly appreciate the profile of the former Manchester City player.
Conte’s next Barella
Considering just how impressive Fofana was for Lens last season, in addition to it being reported that Conte is hoping to add two new central midfielders to his ranks this summer, it is not difficult to understand why Paratici would be interested in a move to bring the Ivorian to north London ahead of the club’s upcoming Premier League campaign.
Indeed, over his 38 Ligue 1 appearances in 2021/22, the £22.5m-rated talent was in imperious form, scoring eight goals, registering one assist and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.6 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 2.1 dribbles per game.
Furthermore, according to FBref data, the £20k-per-week Fofana also ranks in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for shots per 90, as well as the top 2% for dribbles completed, the top 3% for non-penalty xG, the top 6% for non-penalty goals, the top 10% for progressive carries and the top 18% for passes completed over the last 365 days.
These returns see FBref compare the player who Matteo Bonetti dubbed “stunning” and Zach Lowy labelled a “phenom” to some of the most talented midfielders currently playing the game, such as Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella, Manchester City duo Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan and Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.
As such, should Paratici go on to seal a deal for Fofana in the coming weeks, Conte could well have unearthed his next Barella at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – a prospect that is sure to entice both the 52-year-old manager and supporters of Spurs alike.
AND in other news: “Spurs have…”: Alasdair Gold now drops big transfer update that supporters will love
